Retroreflective Materials: A Must for Road and Industrial Safety

Low-light conditions, found in places such as warehouses, factories or on roads at night benefit greatly from using retroreflective materials.

Retroreflective materials are a type of material with a highly reflective surface that seems to glow brightly or appear to light up when it is hit by light. Retroreflective clothing and signs are required on the road and in other hazardous workplaces by law.

Where You Can Find Retroreflective Markings

Retroreflective materials can be found everywhere. One example is conspicuity tape, such as the ones offered by Eskosafety.com, can come in a wide number of colours and reflect light onto oncoming traffic. These reflectors can also be seen on high visibility clothing, on street signs and roadside equipment.

They can also be used to mark walkways, roads, ledges and low hanging objects and structures. The primary purpose of retroreflective markings is to increase the visibility of an object to prevent collisions. Reflective tape is proven to reduce car crashes.

It even works on the wildlife — in Norway, the government applied reflective collars and antler tags on the reindeer to prevent car crashes. They saw a drastic reduction in crashes, keeping both the wildlife and drivers safe.

How Retroreflective Materials Work

Retroreflective materials achieve their distinctive glow through a prismatic effect. Tiny crystalline structures in the materials catch the light and refract it so that it bounces back to the onlooker without losing its intensity.

The material’s surface can either contain small prisms or microscopic beads. Both types can effectively reflect light back.

The advantage of retroreflective materials is that they seem to light up without the need for a power source. They are also waterproof and can be used outdoors without losing reflectivity. This makes them the ideal choice for safety applications on the road and in the workplace.